Each night after we say our prayers and turn off the lights, my toddler whispers “snuggle” and turns to face me in the glider. I hold him tightly and sing Ruelle’s “I Get to Love You” as we rock in the dark. Then I gently lay him in the crib and wish him “the most wonderful night sleep.”
Though Ruelle’s song was written for her husband on their wedding day, I first heard it as background music on a birth video and have sung it to Luca every day since then.
Last week, despite my urge to rush through the bedtime routine and get back to the millions of to-dos that awaited me downstairs, I really soaked up that small moment and took it all in.
“One look at you, my whole life falls in line. I prayed for you, before I called you mine.”
Thinking of that lyric and the nine months + years of praying for a healthy baby of my own, then feeling the warmth of my sweet, pure-hearted boy as he wrapped his arms around me, was a moment I won’t ever forget.
What a joy and privilege to love and be loved by our children, spouses, families and friends. Sometimes that love is messy and hard and a lot more like a chore than a beautiful emotion, but then there are moments like last week where everything just clicks and the gravity of that love washes over you. That’s what makes it all worthwhile.
These are some of my favorite photos that speak to real love, beyond the fluffy teddy bears and decadent chocolate boxes.
My wish for you this Valentine’s Day is that you recognize and experience more deeply the love that’s already part of your life.
